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Tuesday, 29 April 2014

On The Government’s Direct Involvement In The Trial Of Anwar Ibrahim

PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

During the joint press conference on April 27 with Prime Minister Najib Razak and US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Najib stated that:

‘Specifically on Anwar’s case, it’s not — I want to put it on record, it’s not about the government against him. It’s an action taken by an individual who happens to be his former employee who’s taken up this case against him — a complainant. And under the eyes of the law, even if you’re a small man or a big man, you have equal justice. I think you believe in that principle.’

This is a dubious and misleading statement for several reasons.

Firstly, the complainant met with Najib just a few days before filing a police report against Anwar Ibrahim. Najib initially denied the meeting took place. Then he admitted it happened but indicated the complainant only visited him to seek help in obtaining a scholarship. Then Najib changed his story again indicating the complainant came to him to express trauma over being allegedly assaulted by Anwar. Following his meeting with Najib, the complainant met with a police officer known to have been deeply involved in the conspiracy to frame Anwar in the 1998 trial. The complainant filed his police report with Anwar the following day.

Secondly, Anwar was acquitted on January 9, 2012 of the charges leveled against him. The prosecution led by the Attorney General filed an appeal on January 20, 2012 and has led the charge to overturn Anwar’s acquittal. The AG appointed Shafee Abdullah as lead prosecutor in the appeal, an ad hoc appointment to the case which makes virtually no sense unless one considers his background. Shafee is the lawyer to key members of the ruling UMNO party including Dr Mahathir Mohammad and Najib himself. He has also litigated numerous high-profile cases for UMNO leaders. He was present at the meeting in 2008 between the complainant and Najib. The entire prosecutorial process in the Court of Appeal is tainted with the direct influence and interference of the ruling UMNO party led by Najib. Similar concerns were raised by the legal fraternity who observed the trial including the Bar Council, International Commission of Jurists, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Commonwealth Lawyers Association and the International Bar Association.

Lastly, Najib said that under the eyes of the law, even if you are a small or big man, you have equal justice. His statement reveals the truly deplorable condition of Malaysia’s pliant judiciary. The big men in UMNO-BN complicit in innumerable cases of corruption, abuse of power and murder – such as the Altantuya murder case and the PKFZ scandal – remain virtually immune from prosecution. Meanwhile the small men are systematically denied due process and justice in Malaysia.

For Najib to make a claim that the case against Anwar is a personal matter is consistent with his attempt to deflect from the very real and damning evidence linking him to this conspiracy. For him to utter such calumny standing beside President Obama while stating his commitment to upholding the rule of law is nothing short of an insult to the intelligence of the President, all Malaysians and all Americans.

PRESS OFFICE
OFFICE OF ANWAR IBRAHIM
28th APRIL 2014

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